The Help: Week 1-Chapters 1-5

This is a book that is hard for me to put down. I’ve just read it for the second time in less than a year and I hope you will enjoy it, too. This isn’t an easy read—our author isn’t writing about a pretty or easy subject. Sometimes I squirmed as I turned the pages and as I read, many emotions assaulted me—embarrassment, shame, disgust, anger, sadness, and sometimes joy.

It takes courage to represent black and white women from decades ago who lived in the US South where racism created strict roles between white wives and mothers and the women who carefully, fearfully served them. Kathryn Stockett meets the challenge with clarity and compassion, honesty and timely wit to tell the stories of a small community of women. The lines that divided them seem to be drawn by fear, tradition and prejudice, ignorance, cruelty. The tragic daily results of bigotry and snobbery crowd the pages already lined with women we come to care deeply about as we read. This book is about the past, but there are truths that are still present today.

I would like to ask that if you are reading this book with us that you please comment on each week’s blog post. Our online reading club is at its best when you comment, so please share your thoughts and responses with us. I’ll give the introduction to our reading each Monday. If you can comment on that post before the next post goes up the following Monday, that would be great.

This week, I’d like to ask that you write about the themes you see in our first 5 chapters. Which one stands out to you? Why? Do you see any themes that are still present today—where you live and serve? I’m really looking forward to reading this great book and your comments. I hope you’ll post!

Happy reading!

Linda

Next Book Club Starts April 4!

Next book: The Help, Kathyrn Stockett

Starts: April 4 - May 30

Order your book now: 30% discount through Inklings Bookstore--see sidebar for details.

For a book synopsis, click here.

In the Presence of My Enemies: Week 8

Chapters 21, 22, 23

I’m anxious to process these three chapters with you. This has been a challenging book for me to read—and I’m sure it has been for you, too. The story of Gracia’s rescue and recovery dramatically alters her life—forever. As you read these chapters, please look for the positives and negatives that you think either help or hinder the healing process in her life. What lessons can you take from those influences to apply in your life?

How do you think Gracia’s experience impacted her?

How do you think this book impacted you? What are the lessons you take away from it?

Again—thanks for sharing this book with me. May God use it to teach us how to live whatever challenges He allows into our lives.

Next book: The Help, Kathyrn Stockett

Starts: April 4 - May 30

Order your book now: 30% discount through Inklings Bookstore--see sidebar for details.

For a book synopsis, click here.

In the Presence of My Enemies: Week 7

Chapters 18, 19, 20

Thank you for sticking with us. Let’s finish our book club well—OK. We’re getting to some tough pages—and many have already been very hard to comprehend. I wonder if you will find these three chapters difficult to read. I sure did. They contain accounts of hunger, sickness, despair and worse. As you read, please pay particular attention to the emotional challenges Martin and Gracia experience. What causes them? Where do they come from? What do Martin and Gracia do to fight them?

I’d like to ask you to share about how you cope with emotional challenges. Are there spiritual practices you find helpful?

How do you respond to Martin’s death and Gracia’s rescue? I really can’t imagine living this part of Gracia’s story.

We’ll finish our book next week—Thank you so much for participating. This book challenges my thinking in several ways. I’m glad I’ve been able to process it with you!

In the Presence of My Enemies: Week 6

Chapters 15, 16, 17

Martin and Gracia have constantly been learning and adapting throughout their time in captivity. They’ve learned to flex (when to share their one tooth brush and when not to), when to give up dreams (discarding jeans that no longer fit and take up too much space and energy to carry) and how to interact with the different people in their lives. I really admire their learners’ hearts. They didn’t stay stuck—they kept on learning even in such trying circumstances.

This week—would you please share lessons you’ve learned through trials or difficult circumstances?

How has something hard produced something good in your life through the lessons you learned?

In the Presence of My Enemies: Week 5

Chapters 12, 13, & 14

This week—I want us to comment on two passages from our reading. The first one is found on page 160 where Garcia writes, “I think it was the hunger that made me start to see myself the way I really am…..”

Has there been anything that has revealed your true heart to you? What has God been able to use to confront you with sin in your life?

The second passage is on page 183. Gracia says, “Another thing that helped my mental outlook, if not by body, was remember Scripture I had memorized long ago…..One Sunday, I found a piece of paper and began writing down all the promises of God I could recall.” What are some of the verses you would want to remember if you were ever in a situation like this? You have probably been through some hard times in your life. What verses has God used to encourage you?

Thanks again for your comments—we are able to encourage each other when we share what God has done or is doing in our lives.